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Need Help Looking for a Home? Call a Realtor®

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Home Jane Realty BRE# 01439865

You are a busy person, right?  Do you think it is the best use of your time to scour the internet for homes of interest? Isn’t it rather frustrating to try and get hold of someone to show you that property?  Have you ever left a message with no return call? Do you know the history of the property?  I could go on and on.Do you Need Help Buying That Home?  Call a Realtor®

Many Los Angeles home buyers and renters who contact me do so because they saw something online and want to take a look.  They think that I am the listing agent since when they entered the name of the property mine came up.  The reason for that is because of all my blogging and social networking, another story.  And I am happy that they did call.  But I also know that they probably called other agents on other properties.

There is absolutely no advantage to this method of home search.  The most effective way for a Los Angeles home buyer to find a home with the least amount of stress and waste of time is to use one agent who will fully represent them through the whole process.

I am sure the points below are on your mind:

Isn’t it better to use the listing agent so that I get a better price?

No, and this earlier post will give you some of the reasons why you should not.

Won’t I get more of a choice if I use different agents?

No.  Every agent covering your area of interest has the same access to listings as every other agent through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).  Yes, there are such things as pocket listings, which are listings held off the MLS  with seller permission, but they are few and far between and there is some controversy over them.

So, what will you do for me that I can’t do myself?

  • Set you up to automatically receive listings almost as soon as they come on the market, or manually send the most appropriate ones.
  • Make sure that there are no glaring problems with the property before you waste your time looking at it.  We may know through experience about those problems or they may be disclosed under Private Remarks which the buyer does not see.
  • Set up appointments.  We have access to all the agents’ numbers and arranging the times appropriately, especially when you are viewing multiple properties at once, is not an easy task.
  • An agent can also preview a property and may save you the time of seeing something that does not fit your needs.  Also, with the right technology they can take you around the property with them using Skype, FaceTime or something similar.

I am not going to talk here about all the other things that agent is going to do for you after you decide on a home, but for the initial search using the services of an agent is going to make the process a whole lot easier.  There is absolutely nothing to gain by not and everything to lose.

And the best thing of all the services of a buyer’s agent are TOTALY FREE TO YOU.  It won’t cost you a penny, nothing, nada.

CAVEAT:  If you are looking for properties under $,3000 a month you will do better to use a service like Westside Rentals for a much wider choice.  Landlords don’t tend to to give their properties to agents in that price range.  

 

 

For a free consult on your L.A. real estate needs, fill out the CONTACT FORM or call me at 310-473-6919



Read more: http://www.homejane.com/need-help-finding-a-los-angeles-home-for-sale-or-rent.html#ixzz2bP1vmZRl

Comments (8)

Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I love when buyers understand the reasons you spell out so clearly here and "get it" that they are hiring me to be on their side and help them and that I take my job very seriously as it's obvious you do as well.  And when we set them up on the search that sends them MLS listings it's so much better than the traditional hunting they do on their own where we say.. sorry that one is sold already.

Aug 08, 2013 05:42 AM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Jane, It seems that more and more buyers are wearing their selves out by searching on their own and calling the listing agent for each of the properties they are interested in.  Most of the buyer calls I am getting these days are not on my listings (although that happens too) but buyers who have been working with an agent who is not working for them.  The key to working with ONE agent is, as you say, "one agent who will fully represent them through the process."  Sadly, too many buyers get burned by agents who only want to collect a paycheck and are not keeping their clients best interests at heart.  We know that Jane Peters is The Los Angeles Realtor to call. 

 

Aug 08, 2013 06:42 AM
Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

One of the nicest compliments I can get is when my client says to me "We trust your judgment, you know what we're looking for!" and I take care of the rest!  The ones that DO NOT trust a Realtor end up trying to buy real estate -- they rarely make it happen.  

Aug 08, 2013 01:18 PM
Laura Allen, Lake Tahoe - Truckee Real Estate for Sale TahoeLauraRealEstate.com
Coldwell Banker Realty, Tahoe City, CA (530) 414-1260 - Tahoe City, CA
Tahoe Real Estate Agent Helping Buyers and Sellers

Jane - This is a great post as to why buyers need to be using a professional real estate agent - REALTOR.  Once again you show your Los Angeles clients why you are a top Los Angeles REALTOR; you give great advice, and you understand how to make their lives easier, and still get them the best deal!

Aug 08, 2013 03:00 PM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Jane, a dedicated buyers agent can also do research on the property for the client by looking at the past sales and disclosures and discover information about the property that may have been truthfully disclosed by a past seller but not by the present one.  Basements with moisture issues are frequent issues in our area where past sales disclosures can be most revealing! 

Aug 08, 2013 05:15 PM
Norma Toering Broker for Palos Verdes and Beach Cities
Charlemagne International Properties - Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Palos Verdes Luxury Homes in L.A.

Many high-end buyers still think they will get a better deal if they buy direct from the listing agent. I field those calls all too often.  

Aug 09, 2013 05:48 AM
Broker Patty Da Silva Da Silva
Green Realty Properties® - 954-667-7253 - Cooper City, FL
Top Listing Broker

Jane,

Great post! All of that plus all of what Bruce said. Buyers end up losing so much and getting very frustrated by going to one agent for ever home.

Aug 09, 2013 06:18 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Tammy,  exactly.  I don't know why people think it is more efficient to do it themselves.  it is way more time consuming and frustrating.

Kathleen,  thank you.  And yes, many of these people are not being served well.  I guess I should have stipulated that they should use an agent who actually works for them.

Carla,  you are right. If they do trust us then they are going to have a great experience and actually end up with a home.

Laura, thank you as always.

Bruce,  a perfect example of the value of a good Realtor such as yourself.

Norma,  oh yes indeed.

Patty,  I would love to sit back and have someone else do the legwork.

Aug 09, 2013 12:55 PM